NST December A - Z

Esmeralda2662

Well done on clearing so much debt Dr.Carrie! No mean feat, especially during this year.

Glad to hear DS2 managed to eat a bit despite his hernia problem, Thrifty_Taylor. Horrible for you all if you were tucking in and he couldn't.

Forgot to say I managed to miss last day posting for 2nd class cards before Christmas so had to fork out for 1st class stamps as well as the 2nd class ones I'd already bought. So cross with myself for not being organised, grrr!

2 more paperbacks in the charity decluttering bag. Think there will be a couple of blouses/jumpers to go too. 

Weakened today and bought 2 Chinese meals from the supermarket despite loads of food in the fridge. Need to eat what we've already got.

Niece now positive for covid. Hope her toddler doesn't get it too. Managed to keep mum away apart from waving through window as she'd be in a right state if she'd been in direct contact.

Gratitudes: nice walk with OH along river, some lovely presents, that my niece doesn't seem too bad at the moment, Christmas bonus from work which was a lovely surprise. 

Night night everyone. X

ditty1234

A very relaxing day today and hopefully tomorrow. A grateful for some quiet time after very emotional and hectic week last week. Grateful for a full fridge, a full gas tank for my car and a full heart ready for a new year.

greent

Also a relaxing day here - complete with an afternoon snooze on the family room sofa 😴 food is still leftovers and goodies - and will be for a couple.moe days yet!

Most presents have been tidied away around the house. Have already cut ip some of the few cards we received to be tags for next year and recycled/ binned remains, depending upon whether they were foiled/ glittered.

Thankful for time to do nothing, sleep, easy food, a warm house, candles making rooms look.cosy.

ldee2111

Hello turtles 

Christmas was very good - it was quite relaxed, paced, no mad dash around the houses. Mum came over on 24th for dinner, Dad and partner came for breakfast on 25th, and later in the day we had turkey and annual sprouts at OH’s parent’s house as did auntie, uncle, and cousin. DS had a great time and was getting involved in all the hilarity. I think we were all lifted by his excitement and energy. 

Our family and friends were more than  generous to us. DS has a mountain of new games, books, puzzles, arts and crafts… I spent Sunday trying to organise it all - divvying up stuff for our house and the grandparents’ houses. It’s now in bags ready for redistribution. It can’t all stay here - I’m trying to achieve zen living! 😂

Dad gave DS money and specified it was for ‘trendy clothes’. By that he means branded. He knows I’m not one for ‘it has to be branded’ which is why he’s been so direct about it. He would have DS dressed like a walking advert. Anyway, OH and I took DS to some shops today and got him ‘trendy’ trainers. He needed new ones anyway. 

One of my friends sent a £20 voucher for the rainforest retailer. I’m sure she had something more exciting in mind but I spent the lot on some good quality food storage containers. 

OH and I had a couple of child-free nights out planned for the coming week but they’ve been postponed due to the virus. I’m nervously watching for any changes / restrictions to our holiday in February. 👀

Grateful for precious time with our family ❤️

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening turtles

Yesterday DD1 and i went to the theatre to see Oliver T.  It was good altho not the traditional one with all the songs we love!  The theatre wasn't very full so i guess a lot of people were having/chose to keep away. Today i dropped DD2 at the station, did a bit of shopping - got one festive gift at half price for a friend i haven't yet seen & half price cards for Sprouts Day 22 !  Then i went to my fave town in the next county and had a rainy walk.
Now i'm home alone with the cats and tons of treats so i shall be happy this eve lying on the sofa watching the travel man on his trip to Iceland - not the shop and the final episode of Maid on nEflicks 

love to all 
Deni 

DrCarrie

Thanks everyone!

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#13
Did a beginner's yoga video off yoo toob, haven't done it for ages. After breakfast I hung the washing out, then walked to the post office to send the items sold at the weekend, only to find that it was closed! A bit frustrating! Sorted all the recycling & put presents away, was given a lot of treat food this year, so will last a while. Spent the afternoon embroidering a bookmark for a friend's birthday on Wednesday, I've stitched a phrase we used on the front, added a co-ordinating back, then a ribbon bow & a button. Have an idea for something to make for another birthday next month too. If I can make presents, they'll be unique, use up some of my very large stash, & save some money too. Win - win 😃
Grateful for a sunny day, hanging out the washing, doing some handicrafts, a good series watched whilst sewing

apple_muncher

January is live - apologies for some copy-and-paste from the previous year!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6322347/nst-january-2022-janus/p1?new=1

mothernerd

Sorry, I sort of abandoned you and then lost you (you fell off my list of bookmarks). Yesterday I spent about 4 hours at mum's, zapping all the door and cupboard handles and taps, wading through several lots of pots, putting the toaster back on its' little shelf and packing, packing and more packing. Ten bags brought back with me including important paperwork, everyday clothes (most of the bag washed and dried, then a binbag with a few items washed but a bit damp and then one or two that need a wash, found as I shifted stuff out of the way), embroidery (want to get back into it as it's relaxing and want to finish off the 5 projects I wanted to finish this year - no rush because even the regular presents didn't get delivered and it will be some time before I see anyone now.

This morning I slept for as long as I wanted - left leg has gone from a nagging ache to acute pain but I gave it extra support yesterday and it's working a bit better today. Have been worried that painkillers have been up to the limit (possibly over because I needed some in the middle of the night in order to get back to sleep and then struggled in the daytime) and more sleep means less painkillers.

When I got up I took 3 sacks of cans to the recycling point. The neighbour at the end house stopped me to chat and my legs were stiff by the time I got away (never ask about new neighbours - this neighbour will have their whole life story within a couple of days of them moving in) - lunch was a bit crispy but I enjoyed it anyway.

Put plastic bottles in the brown bin, then went up and down the yard (3 times) finding other bottles (cleaners bagged them with other things). Next door neighbour came to the door to ask if I was alright - must have got to the yelping stage. Last few bottles to fill the bin and then put it out for tomorrow's collection. Neighbour asked about the chair (someone dumped a corner seat outside our back gate the day after I'd paid to have our rubbish taken away).

Mid afternoon I felt sick and dizzy so came back upstairs for a rest and finished off my book. Brought my new pillow upstairs and the bag with my 'medical' stuff. Unpacked that - pills and creams are now mostly on my overdoor shelves with some pills on the bedside trolley. Put away some t-shirts that I brought over 2 weeks ago (only just reunited the drawers with the bottom of the wardrobe) and found underwear and my best scarves (couldn't find them when it was mum's partner's funeral). 

Went back outside and have flattened 11 boxes which will go in mum's bin (collected next week) and put 4 - 5 black bags in the black bin (from the pile left by the cleaners, more than 4 or 5 really because several boxes had been placed inside bin bags, either alone or with small amounts of rubbish and all the bits were compacted together). Found my box grater and sneaked it back inside (DS3 said things were not to come back in) - the ones in the shops were tiny and one online was still very expensive in the sale). 

I've also set off a wash load (2 more to go) and emptied the dishwasher and refilled it (lots of cutlery and a couple of really big roasters- used ceramic one for defrosting the lamb, already had two lots of boiling water on and one DS3 had used for a meal) plus a few pots. Need to eat something and walk to the cash machine to check my balance. Want an early night as I have food coming between 7 am and 8 am (then have to get back to mum's before lunch for her delivery).

Grateful for fairtrade stem ginger biscuits (kept thinking I had no biscuits or chocolate then remembered I bought myself one pack of these when buying a present and some wrapping paper). Hid them from myself (very successfully). Wonderful dragon/ Yorkshire WI books (still have the 6th one to read and 3 of another series by the same author - about a cat detective). Getting stuff done - it's a bit like building blocks - clean a piece of furniture, put it where I want it, move things onto or in it. Next door neighbour complimenting me on my 'window display' - candles and candlesticks plus a couple of lanterns (can live without a tree and other decorations but must have my candles).

greent

Another lazy day here - although did nip to smkt as we needed milks and cheese (cheddar, as opposed to all the fancier ones we have) - also bought some YS things for the freezer for DS1 to take back to uni and some very reduced plain gift tags to reuse gift bags next Xmas.

Thankful for DS2 going to his friend's house in the next town for most of the day - good for him to see someone other than us!, for getting some things tidied away, for YS items, for getting a decent amount of sleep post Xmas